User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:48.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/48.0
Build ID: 20160726073904
Steps to reproduce:
I like to make a link from a website too my Desktop
Actual results:
Since a while - the icons from the links are too small with a white background
Expected results:
Previously, they they were normal sized same as whit links saved from IE

﻿I confirmed the small icon, compared to IE and Chrome, on Windows 7.
Shortcut created by IE and Chrome have large icon, but shortcut created by Firefox have small Icon.
I don't see any behavior difference between older versions of Firefox, so not sure why it started happening on reporter's env.
Here are the content of .lnk file, for https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/ , saved from IE 11, Chrome, and Firefox 48.0.
---- from IE11 (replaced some characters in title) ----
[{000214A0-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]
Prop4=31,We're building a better Internet - Mozilla
Prop3=19,11
[{000214A0-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}.A]
Prop4=31,We're building a better Internet - Mozilla
[{000214A0-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}.W]
Prop4=31,We+IBk-re building a better Internet +IBQ- Mozilla
[{A7AF692E-098D-4C08-A225-D433CA835ED0}]
Prop5=3,0
Prop9=19,0
[InternetShortcut]
URL=https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/
IDList=
IconFile=https://www.mozilla.org/media/img/favicon/favicon-196x196.cb79ae3b6daf.png
IconIndex=1
[{9F4C2855-9F79-4B39-A8D0-E1D42DE1D5F3}]
Prop5=8,Microsoft.Website.A52A63AC.B83E2356
---- from Chrome ----
[InternetShortcut]
URL=https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/
---- from Firefox 48.0 ----
[InternetShortcut]
URL=https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/
IDList=
HotKey=0
IconFile=C:\Users\test\AppData\Local\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\rmu8hqfc.default\shortcutCache\Y7mBbbtNjUwmorbi7zYiJw==.ico
IconIndex=0
--------
So, IE is using 196x196 png favicon, referred here in the page:
> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="196x196" href="/media/img/favicon/favicon-196x196.cb79ae3b6daf.png">
Chrome doesn't have any info, but the icon is shown somehow.
Firefox is using cached 48x48 png favicon, not sure where it comes from (maybe generated?),
but the icon looks like white background + 16x16 favicon.

Is there any chance of this getting fixed? The tiny icon inside a big white square is really hard for my 66 year old eyes to see. Can there be an option to use the black and orange icon with the Firefox logo instead?
Thanks,
Bill

Hello Bill
That would be just as tedious, if only black-orange Firefox icons smile at you! Just like in IE in the past.
However, the icons seem to have become even smaller. Despite workplace glasses, they are no longer recognizable!!!
Can't there be no solution to this problem??

Hello Jutta,
I was just thinking that it would be better than the tiny icon we see now. It is so small I can't tell what the icon is supposed to represent. If it was the Firefox icon it would at least let me know it is a favorite shortcut and not some other shortcut. Making the tiny icon larger so it is the same size as the white square would be good as well.
Thanks,
Bill

By this change, icons will never be shrunk to a smaller size. Windows will do
it appropriately.
Internet Explorer's icon handler will not paint the white background if the
icon is large enough. I'm also replicating the behavior.